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headshot_Nikki McDonald_women's hockey UWaterloo
Monday, July 14, 2025

Skating into startups: how athletics shaped my entrepreneurial path

Meet Nikki McDonald, a student in the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship, and Technology (MBET) program at the University of Waterloo and a powerhouse on and off the ice.

In our latest blog, Nikki shares how her journey as a student-athlete shaped her path to entrepreneurship. From battling imposter syndrome to co-founding NextPlayNetwork, a platform that helps student-athletes transition into professional success, Nikki's story is all about clarity, persistence, and adaptability.

“Purpose goes beyond entrepreneurship and athletics; it’s the reason behind long hours and hard sacrifices.”

Read her full journey and what it takes to build a venture — and chase championships — at the same time.

Friday, March 21, 2025

Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust: The Magic of Collective Success

"As a child, I believed in the magic of these words, certain that a sprinkle of pixie dust could make anything possible. As I grew, I traded wonder for realism and magic for logic. But somewhere along the way, I realized pixie dust is real, just not in the way I once imagined. 

On March 7, an email arrived in my inbox, my paper had been accepted at the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada (ASAC) 2025. A monumental milestone as a first-year PhD student. Yet, the real magic was not in that acceptance. It came later that evening. 

At 8:49 PM, another email arrived. My supervisor, Shavin Malhotra, the guiding force behind the paper submission, had shared the news with the entire department. Almost instantly, my inbox came alive, messages of joy, encouragement, and celebration poured in. What had started as a personal milestone transformed into a collective success.  

In that moment, I realized pixie dust does exist, just not as a shimmer in the air, but as something far more powerful. It’s the unseen force of people who uplift you, the ecosystem that nurtures you, the mentors who guide you, the staff who support you, and the colleagues who walk beside you, celebrating, encouraging, and making your victories their own".  

Thursday, March 6, 2025

Building on Business: Avery Kelly’s Path from Undergraduate to MBET

Meet Avery Kelly, a current Master of Business, Entrepreneurship, and Technology (MBET) student at the University of Waterloo. Avery graduated in June 2024 with an Honours Arts and Business degree, majoring in Legal Studies. 

"Transitioning from undergraduate studies to the graduate-level Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business has been an incredible experience, and I’m excited to share my journey and how it’s shaped my career path.

My introduction to the Conrad School and the MBET program began during my undergraduate years. I took BET 210, a course within the Arts and Business program that really opened my eyes to the world of entrepreneurship and business. The course connected the theoretical business concepts I was learning in the ARBUS program with real-world applications, which sparked my interest in pursuing more business-focused learning. 

As I began researching graduate programs at the University of Waterloo, I was drawn to the hands-on learning and the strong integration MBET has with the local KW community. I wanted to ensure that I wasn’t falling behind in terms of work experience, and the MBET program offered the perfect opportunity to develop and apply entrepreneurial skills in real-world settings. I found out more about the program online and even connected with members of the UW Athletics department, which helped me decide that MBET was the right choice for me."

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Fire Alarms and Startup Dreams: Lessons from My MBET Journey

I began my career in Advertising and Marketing Communications, drawing on a foundation in Visual Arts and Graphic Design. Thirteen years ago, I founded Bedouin, a design consultancy dedicated to creatively addressing the evolving needs of clients across startups, enterprises, and government. This path led me into the tech ecosystem, where I launched two startups. While they showed early signs of traction, they ultimately didn’t succeed because I lacked the foundational knowledge needed to build a successful startup.